Your Love Horoscope for May 2016

Tracy Allen's horoscope columns appear monthly in Glamour. In addition to astrology, she has a graduate education in counseling psychology and has worked as a psychotherapist. Follow @astrotherapist on Twitter and email tallennyc@gmail.com to schedule a private session. Check back here for more lovescopes every month.

Stocksy

TAURUS

April 20–May 20

The new moon on May 6 represents your annual invitation to reinvent yourself—and this one nudges you to show off more of your personality and embrace an increasingly empowered outlook in the coming year. With Venus in Taurus April 29–May 24, you’re extra charming and attractive, and people are bound to take notice. Take full advantage of your irresistibility on the 10th, when Venus vibes with Jupiter in your romance sector. Whether you’re single or attached, that’s the ideal date night. Mercury is backtracking in your sign until May 22, making you feel rather muddled and tongue-tied, but Mars retrograde in your intimacy house could pose a bigger problem. The main danger to avoid is hooking up with an ex, particularly on the 5th, when Venus and Mars have an awkward encounter. Closeness might be noticeably challenging on May 11 and 26 when Saturn gives Venus and Jupiter the cold shoulder. But sparks could fly on the 21st when a full moon lands in your sex zone!

GEMINI

May 21–June 20

With Mars retrograde in your one-on-one angle, you may find yourself rehashing an old fight with your significant other or projecting your frustrations onto someone close to you. Make a concerted effort not to provoke or be provoked, because Mercury is retrograde too, messing up both communication and judgment. It’s hiding out in your subconscious corner, heightening your intuition, so try to do more observing than talking. With Venus tucked away there as well, your love life is likely to be conducted behind closed doors—especially on May 10 and 13 when she connects with Jupiter in your domestic angle and Pluto in your intimacy house. The sun and Venus move into Gemini on the 20th and 24th, boosting your vitality and magnetism and encouraging you to focus on yourself, but their oppositions with Mars on the 22nd and 24th remind you to balance "me time" with partnership. Try to understand how your family or your desire to put down roots might be affecting a relationship on May 26 when Jupiter battles Saturn.

CANCER

June 21–July 22

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On May 6, a new moon in your network zone gels with influential Pluto in your one-on-one angle, hinting at the possibility that you’ll make a friend or develop a powerful attraction. Mercury retrograde is also involved, so reconnecting with people from the past might bring someone new into your life or change an existing relationship. Venus is also in your network zone the first few weeks of the month, inspiring you to socialize and widen your circle. The 10th is perfect for that, since Venus is gelling with expansive Jupiter. If you’re hoping to meet a guy, your pals and technology are your best bets this month, so either put out the word that you’re open to being set up or start swiping right. After the sun and Venus duck into your retreat sector on May 20 and 24, you’ll be more low-key and reclusive. Don’t feel guilty about going off the grid—you need to reflect on the past year and recharge your battery before your birthday season kicks off.

LEO

July 23–August 22

Venus hovers at the top of your chart until May 24, coaxing you to focus on self-promotion and making a good impression on higher-ups. Ambition and attraction can become intertwined—possibly resulting in a flirtation with a supervisor or a relationship with an older or powerful man. Whether you’re crushing it at work or crushing on your boss, it will give your ego a boost on the 10th, thanks to Venus’s connection with Jupiter in your worth house. Dating or fun could conflict with your career aspirations on May 4, 5, and 11, when planets in your goals angle clash with planets in your play sector, so be prepared to shuffle your schedule. And planets in your friends house face off with planets in your romance corner on the 21st, 22nd, and 24th, requiring you to juggle time with the girls and time with your guy. There’s also a chance that this friction will be about pursuing your own pleasure and playing a role in a group.

VIRGO

August 23–September 22

Venus is visiting your expansion corner for the first few weeks of May, indicating that it’s time to broaden your approach to relationships. If you’re attached, a trip could bring you closer. But if travel isn’t in the cards, be adventurous! Maybe try sex outdoors or running a tough mudder together. And if you’re single, give someone you’d normally overlook a shot—especially on the 10th when Venus hooks up with Jupiter in Virgo, inspiring you to take a risk for the sake of love and personal growth. You’re not the gambling type, but with Jupiter finishing up its retrograde phase on May 9 and leaving your sign in a few months, you need to make carpe diem your motto. The 9th and 13th are other dates when taking a chance on love is likely to pay off. On May 5, 11, and 26, an old fear or behavior pattern threatens to hold you back, but you have the courage and self-awareness to overcome this obstacle.

LIBRA

September 23–October 22

In May, the more intense the better, thanks to Venus hanging in your depth house for most of the month. Sex and love aren’t easily separated, and casual hookups won’t do much for you—particularly on the 13th when Venus meshes with powerful Pluto in your emotions angle. If you’re single, exploring your own psyche and accepting its dark side can bring inner peace. Libras like everything to be nice and pretty, but honesty is more important now, so try to come to terms with those feelings and aspects of your personality that you’d rather sweep under the rug. And let a partner or good friend see the real you, warts and all. With Mars in your communication sector, your words are sharper than usual, and since Mars is retrograde, arguments are to be expected. The 22nd and 24th may be extra contentious, so be mindful of your phrasing and keep passive aggression in check. May 30 is the perfect day for making up if you’ve had a falling-out.

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SCORPIO

October 23–November 21

Despite the fact that chatty Mercury is retrograde until the 22nd and proactive Mars also continues to backtrack in May, with four planets making appearances in your one-on-one angle, you shouldn’t withdraw. A new moon lands there on the 6th, hinting at a serious relationship in the pipeline or a new level of commitment in a current one. The moon is collaborating with Jupiter in your network house, so you might meet a guy through people you already know, or you could decide to introduce your new man to your crew. A connection between the moon and Pluto in your thinking-and-talking corner emphasizes the effect that an empowered mindset and deep conversation can have on your ability to bond, while the moon’s link with Neptune in your romance zone coaxes you to keep hope alive no matter what. You’re likeliest to click with someone on May 1, 3, 7, 9, 10, 13, and 30 —that’s an entire week’s worth of dates with your s.o. or new prospects, so start making plans!

SAGITTARIUS

November 22–December 21

With taskmaster Saturn in your sign and aspirational Jupiter in your career angle, you’ve been working hard to reach your goals for quite awhile now. The new moon in your health-and-productivity corner on May 6 reminds you that you need to take good care of your body in order to feel your best and function at a high level. Mercury is retrograde, so don’t go overboard; opt for small changes that can make a big difference like swapping your morning mochaccino for a matcha smoothie or signing up for a lunchtime class at the gym. Venus is also in that house, underscoring the connection between looking good and feeling good. If you’re unattached, you could fall for someone at your job, and if you’re in a relationship, you’ll be willing to do what it takes to make things work. When a full moon lands in Sag on the 21st, you might need a venting session to avoid a meltdown, so give yourself permission to complain for at least this one day out of the year!

CAPRICORN

December 22–January 19

This month’s planetary gathering in your love-and-happiness sector nudges you to have more fun. Put “enjoy life” on your to-do list if that’s what it takes for you to remember that all work and no play isn’t the best m.o.. even for ambitious Caps. Pluto’s ongoing presence in your sign has brought out a compulsion to be in control, but thankfully, on the 7th, 12th, 13th, and 30th, he’s clicking with the planets that are encouraging you to let loose. Whether you’re dating, in a serious relationship or just hanging with friends, show your emotions and your depth and forget about who’s in the driver’s seat. Those planets are also jibing with courageous Jupiter in your exploration corner, doubling down on the theme of taking more risks. When Jupiter clashes with your ruler, Saturn, in the last house of your chart on May 26, it may seem like the future is battling the past. This is a great opportunity to choose faith over fear and let go of anything—or anyone—that’s holding you back.

AQUARIUS

January 20–February 18

Aquarius is all about friends, groups, humanitarianism and networking, but with fortunate Jupiter in your sharing sector, the last several months have shown you the benefits of in-depth, one-on-one interaction. Jupiter goes direct on May 9, further encouraging you to invest in close relationships instead of sticking to your the-more-the-merrier mantra. Venus in your emotions angle gels with Jupiter on the 10th, making that an excellent day for intimacy—rivaled only by May 13, when Venus cozies up to intense Pluto in your seclusion corner. Whether you’re attached or available, making dinner for a guy (or staying in and ordering takeout if cooking isn’t your thing) will be sexier than it sounds, since home is the likeliest place for your love life to heat up now. And if you’re not into anyone at the moment, simply setting the stage by redecorating your bedroom could put you in the mood to get in the dating game. Hey, if you build it, they will come, right? One caveat: Don’t make huge, permanent changes! With Mercury retrograde, you might hate them later.

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PISCES

February 19–March 20

The new moon on May 6th inspires you to express your feelings, while its link with Jupiter in your partnership angle hints that doing so will enhance your one-on-one connections. The moon is also clicking with Neptune in Pisces, so sharing your spiritual side, compassion, creativity or romantic nature is also favored. Thanks to a moon-Pluto connection, the power of team support is apt to bolster your impetus to speak up. But with Mercury retrograde, one of the best uses of this lunation would be to reconsider your habitual ways of thinking and talking. It’s worth asking yourself if your mind-set and your communication are serving you as well as they could. When Jupiter wraps up its retrograde phase on the 9th, the progress of a particular relationship could resume or your faith in it could be restored—hopefully both! And the next day, showing someone you care can improve relations. Try not to let your workload come between you and your man on May 26 when Saturn in your ambition angle gives Jupiter a hard time.

ARIES

March 21–April 19

You might be in the mood to do some serious shopping, thanks to Venus’s presence in your worth zone until May 24, but with Mercury traveling retrograde there during those weeks, you could end up with buyer’s remorse. You’re better off thinking about your self-image and what you base your own worth on. What do you like about your appearance? Are you playing up those assets with the way you dress? Which qualities do you value most in yourself? Do those come across in your interactions? Put your answers to good use later in the month when the sun and Venus segue into your mind-set-and-communication sector, encouraging you to see people, think positive thoughts, appreciate the beauty in your everyday life and express your love. You might be torn between pleasant banter and a heated debate on the 24th, and if you’re on a date, a little of both wouldn’t be a bad idea. Looking to meet someone? Your neighborhood, siblings and written communication are great starting places!